Getting Microsoft Account back to square one

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Gordy7

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#256013 10-Sep-2019 16:36

A friend has got completely screwed up with several Windows 10 Microsoft Account logins, confused password options and an old unused phone number for verifcation.

Microsoft is now saying he will have to wait 24 hours before making more login attempts.

To make matters worse his Roboform password manager pops up giving unknown password options.

My plan is to now completely delete his Microsoft login accounts on his computer and with Microsoft. Getting him back to square one!.

I would like him to use his existing Gmail adddess for login (has been used already) to reduce the number of logins and password combinations.

Some online help suggests he may have to wait 60 days as part of the process.

I have only briefly read this link:

https://www.howtogeek.com/227763/how-to-completely-delete-your-microsoft-account/

This link also mentions that there is some sort of tool available to delete online Microsoft accounts... haven't found the tool yet.

TIA for any help.

Gordy

My first ever AM radio network connection was with a 1MHz AM crystal(OA91) radio receiver.

nathan

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#2314406 10-Sep-2019 17:24

sounds like you should be doing a password reset/account recovery rather than closing the account

https://account.live.com/closeaccount.aspx

Gordy7

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#2314414 10-Sep-2019 17:42

nathan:

sounds like you should be doing a password reset/account recovery rather than closing the account

https://account.live.com/closeaccount.aspx

Thanks Nathan for the link.

I tried reset/recovery today. I am doing all this by remote using Anydesk.

Have to wait 24 hours before next attempt.

I have been trying to figure out what he has been attemping over the last few weeks.

I need to get more control of his computer to be confident of any MS account recovery.

I can't see the PWs he has been using and don't have access to his phone.

I have pointed some MS recovery options to my Gmail address.

Gordy

My first ever AM radio network connection was with a 1MHz AM crystal(OA91) radio receiver.

nathan

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#2314418 10-Sep-2019 17:45

if he can't remember the username/password combo

and you can't recover the account because no access to any of the recovery options/secrets (SMS, Multifactor, email)

and he doesn't have any OneDrive/data/subscriptions/Xbox/Office etc

then creating another one and starting fresh might be the fastest

Good luck

1101

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#2314789 11-Sep-2019 08:56

Ive been down this track a few times , helping people who for whatever reason were locked out of the live login a/c

Thats the problem with a Win10 'live logon'
You may have to reload Win10. Even the Win10 recovery options will ask for the login/pass

If he had a 'local' Win10 a/c , you could quite easily reset the login pass via a bootable CD
If you get access , change the 10 a/c to a local a/c

nathan

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#2314802 11-Sep-2019 09:05

1101:
Ive been down this track a few times , helping people who for whatever reason were locked out of the live login a/c

Thats the problem with a Win10 'live logon'
You may have to reload Win10. Even the Win10 recovery options will ask for the login/pass

If he had a 'local' Win10 a/c , you could quite easily reset the login pass via a bootable CD
If you get access , change the 10 a/c to a local a/c

The problem is not where the account exists, but that the user forgot the password, probably didn’t setup multi factor AuthN, and forgot/can’t access their recovery accounts and doesn’t want to wait going thru the support verification process.

Gordy7

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#2314860 11-Sep-2019 10:03

He has decided to create another Gmail address to support a new MS account login.

I will try and delete existing local an MS account logins and set up a new one.

More variables to all his logins and PWs!...

I had considered re-installing Win10 but that would not fix the MS account login..

Part of the issue is that he is starting to get visual impairment... so reconfiguring his computer to suit him is another story.

Gordy

My first ever AM radio network connection was with a 1MHz AM crystal(OA91) radio receiver.

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Gordy7

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#2314862 11-Sep-2019 10:07

nathan:

snip...

The problem is not where the account exists, but that the user forgot the password, probably didn’t setup multi factor AuthN, and forgot/can’t access their recovery accounts and doesn’t want to wait going thru the support verification process.

Phone 2FA is an issue.... he didn't update his phone number on his MS account

Gordy

My first ever AM radio network connection was with a 1MHz AM crystal(OA91) radio receiver.

networkn

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#2314934 11-Sep-2019 12:09

nathan:
1101:

Ive been down this track a few times , helping people who for whatever reason were locked out of the live login a/c

Thats the problem with a Win10 'live logon'
You may have to reload Win10. Even the Win10 recovery options will ask for the login/pass

If he had a 'local' Win10 a/c , you could quite easily reset the login pass via a bootable CD
If you get access , change the 10 a/c to a local a/c

The problem is not where the account exists, but that the user forgot the password, probably didn’t setup multi factor AuthN, and forgot/can’t access their recovery accounts and doesn’t want to wait going thru the support verification process.

Well.... If they had a standard non-MS Login, getting access to their files and folders would be a matter of using a password reset USB stick, a somewhat less time-consuming process.

Gordy7

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#2314983 11-Sep-2019 13:58

Stalled yet again.

New MS account nearly set up with what looked like one final question... Please enter you current Windows logon password?

He can't remember... Can only remember Windows logon PIN.

Now I will have to find another way to find or reset the Windows logon password.... maybe using his PIN....

If there is a security check question then that maybe another problem...

Maybe it will come down to a re-install of Windows 10.... I don't fancy attempting that by remote...

Gordy

My first ever AM radio network connection was with a 1MHz AM crystal(OA91) radio receiver.

Gordy7

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#2316552 12-Sep-2019 15:30

Whew... what a mission!!!

Finally got my friend sorted out with a new Microsoft Account.

One good thing was that he decided to reload Windows 10 over night... That got rid of a lot of junk and made his Windows environment look tidy and more familiar to me.

Initially, the bad news was that he had re-installed Win10 using only a PIN again .... Setting up a new MS Account required a Windows login password as part of the process.

Luckily I discovered how to setup a login password using only the PIN.

https://www.isumsoft.com/windows-10/forgot-windows-10-password-but-remember-pin.html

Using these instructions allowed me to set up a new Windows login password:

Step 1: Open a Command Prompt as administrator.

Step 2: Type net user <username> <password> and press Enter. Note: Replace the <username> with your user name, and replace the <password> with your new password.

My friend can now Sync Settings and get into the MS Store again.

Gordy

My first ever AM radio network connection was with a 1MHz AM crystal(OA91) radio receiver.